If you’re spending an excessive amount of time on Facebook and similar sites at work, you might want to check over your shoulder on occasion … all that and more in today’s High 5:

SOCIAL MEDIA CRACKDOWN: A  St. Louis Post-Dispatch report estimates 80 percent of Missouri businesses  either ban or place restrictions on employee access to Facebook, LinkedIn and MySpace during work hours, and 25 percent say they block access to social media sites entirely. Over half of the firms say they monitor office computers to ensure workers are taking care of company business and not their own. Nearly every company with an anti-social media policy indicates they subject offenders to disciplinary action. Well, with the ongoing explosion of Facebook in particular it was only a matter of time until the hammer came down.

"Joey Brackets"

YIKES: “It was pretty darn close,” according to Michael Barr of the of the USC Aviation Safety and Security Program, on the near collision between a United Airlines jumbo jet and a small Cessna plane over San Francisco. (My question is how do these kind of things repeatedly happen? Who’s in charge on the ground? Secondly, can’t these pilots see these other planes? It’s not like it’s rush-hour traffic up there, is it? (And yet another reason why I never plan on flying.)

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “Friendship is just like wine. As it gets older it gets sweeter. Just like you and me. You are getting older and I am getting sweeter.”

TRAGEDY: The man who plunged to his death in an apparent suicide jump off the Empire State building earlier this week was a junior from Yale University. He  jumped from the 86th floor , where there is an observation deck open to the public. He was dead when rescue workers arrived at the 102-story skyscraper. The Empire State Building is the third-tallest building in the United States. More than 30 people have committed suicide at the building since it opened in 1931. The most recent was believed to have been in 2006. (Two reasons why you will never read of me doing this. I hate heights and I hate elevators.)

NCAA TOURNAMEN FACT O’ THE DAY: It is almost a full year until we again have to deal with ESPN’s Joe “Joey Brackets” Lunardi.

Damian Whitewood and Pamela Anderson are helping "Dancing With the Stars" challenge "American Idol" for the No. 1 spot among America's most popular TV shows.

Is American Idol’s five-year hold as the nation’s No. 1-rated television show in peril? … all that and more in today’s High 5:

DANCING WITH THE RATINGS: Entertainment Weekly asks, “Is this the season that ABC’s Dancing with the Stars takes over Fox’s American Idol as the most-watched program on network television?” Well, that doesn’t seem like too big of a stretch, especially considering that Dancing tied Idol—each nabbing 24.2 million viewers—for the top spot for the week ending March 28. Granted, Dancing’s viewership was likely enlarged because the episode was its season premiere (it’s highest-rated ever), but it’s still quite a moment for the show. In third place for the week, of course, was the other episode of American Idol, the Wednesday results hour, which pulled in 21.4 million viewers.

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “Sometimes the thoughts in my head get bored and go for a stroll out through my mouth. This is rarely a good thing.”

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Turning 50 years old this week is the copy machine. “It was a product no one knew they needed until they had it,” said David Owen, author of Copies in Seconds about the birth of the Xerox. (Seriously, where would we have been the last half century without copy machines? I can’t remember life without them. Kind of like Girl Scout cookies.)

ALL BLAGO, ALL THE TIME: Sharon Osbourne recently talked about what lfie is like with former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich on NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice. “He is absolutely crazy. He is insane. Completely self obsessed, insane. He talks like a typical politician. Back tracks all the time. Like they said, he is half-baked. They pulled him out of the oven too soon. He wasn’t properly formed.” (Kind of makes you proud to say you’re from Illinois, eh?)

NCAA TOURNAMENT FACT O’ THE DAY: The CBS broadcast of the tournament provides the NCAA with over $500 million annually, and makes up more than 90 percent off the NCAA’s annual revenue.

I don’t think anyone under the age of 60 (I’m 56, so I just made it) even considers it a big deal that Saturday mail delivery will soon be a thing of the past … those thoughts and more in today’s High 5:

IT’S (ALMOST) OFFICIAL: The U.S. Post Office is submitting an official proposal to a government regulatory board today to eliminate six-day delivery. A new five-day delivery schedule, which would eliminate Saturday, could save the cash-strapped Post Office $3 billion annually. This new process will probably not take effect until next spring. I’m sure there will be those who feel this is the end of the world as we know it — if so, they probably have some Mayan ancestry. It’s no big deal, really. Like I said a few weeks ago, it’s just one less day for a bill to arrive. Honestly, how many letters do you write these days? I thought so. It’s an e-mail and texting world, bay-bee.

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “Outraged wildlife conservationists have forced a top Thai minister to reconsider plans to put exotic animals on the menu of a restaurant in a northern Thailand zoo. Well, scratch those plans I had for that vacation.”

Debbie Harry and the rest of Blondie were No. 1 in 1981.

SONG THAT SHOULD BE A CLASSIC: “I Haven’t Got Time For The Pain,” by Carly Simon. (probably her second-best song  behind “You’re So Vain.”)

No. 1 SONG ON THIS DATE … :  … in 2007 was “Glamorous” by Fergie, featuring Ludacris. It seems every time I post some of these old No. 1 songs it sparks quite a few conversations during my day. So here are a few more. No. 1 on this date in:

2001: “Angel,” by Shaggy, with Rayvon.
1997: “Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down,” by Puff Daddy, featuring Ma$e
1992: “Save the Best for Last,” by Vanessa Williams.
1985: “One More Night,” by Phil Collins.
1981: “Rapture,” by Blondie.
1980: “Another Brick in the Wall,” by Pink Floyd.
1965: “Stop! In the Name of Love,” by the Supremes.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: As hard as it may seem to realize, YouTube turns five this year. And what is the site’s most popular video of all-time? It’s 2007′s “Charlie Bit My Finger,” which was never meant to be anything more than a family flick. It depicts a laughing British baby gnawing on the finger of his crying brother and has now been seen more than 170 million times.

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts were No. 1 on this day in 1982.

You have to hand it to Lady Gaga. She keeps her name in front of the public. I think she has become the current generation’s Madonna …more Gaga in today’s High 5:

CONTROVERSIAL, BUT POPULAR: Lady Gaga is known for her outlandish outfits and live performances, and now she is the first artist to achieve 1 billion video plays, according to Visible Measures. Her vids for “Poker Face” and “Bad Romance,” alone, have been streamed more than 350 million times each, and that’s not even counting the9 1/2-minute ”Telephone” duet with Beyonce. While Lady Gaga’s combined video numbers are the highest overall, she does not have the singular most watched viral video. That title goes to Soulja Boy, whose video for “Crank Dat” has been viewed 722 million times. Next comes Beyonce’s “Single Ladies,” Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” then Gaga’s “Poker Face” and “Bad Romance.”

PUT ANOTHER DIME IN THE JUKEBOX, BABY: The No 1 song a year ago on this date was “Right Round” by Flo Rida. Here’s what was No. 1 on March 29 in the following years:

2003: “In Da Club,” by 50 Cent.
1996: “Because You Loved Me,” by Celine Dion.
1994: “The Sign,” by Ace of Base.
1989: “Eternal Flame,” by the Bangles.
1983: “Billie Jean,” by Michael Jackson.
1982: “I Love Rock and Roll,” by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.
1975: “Lady Marmalade,” by LaBelle.
1964: “Can’t Buy Me Love,” by the Beatles.

IT’S OFFICIAL: As we hinted here earlier this month, Fox has officially pulled the plug on 24. The network announced over the weekend  it has canceled the series. Repetitive plots have led to declining ratings in recent years. The show will end its run when the current eighth season winds up this spring. This show has been life support for a couple of years. It was time.

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “Cooling my heels … while the (blankety-blank) Easter Bunny takes a lunch break. Seriously.”

YOUR 15 MINUTES ARE UP: Baylor basketball. 

Do you really care how many calories are in that Big Mac? Maybe not, but it won’t be long before you;ll know each and every time you order … all that and more in today’s High 5:

CALORIE COUNTING: President Obama’s just-passed health-care law requires restaurant chains to post calorie counts starting next year. Based on that, the Daily Beast.com Web site has put together an interesting list of the 50 unhealthiest fast-food items. Four of the top 10 items are available in Quincy. If your waistline is interested, the worst offenders are:

1. Wendy’s “Baconator Triple.”
3. Burger King “Quad Stacker.”
6. Arby’s “Large Roast Beef and Cheddar.”
8. Taco Bell “Chipotle Steak Taco Salad.”

I consider myself a fast-food connoisseur but I’ve never had any of those , at least in those portions. Overall, I think Wendy’s might have the most tantalizing menu of the major chains. Arby’s is right there, too.

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “So I gave up global warming for Lent, and I think I will add healthcare reform to the list too.”

Kim Kardashian

OH THAT KIM: The Bangshowbiz.com Web site is reporting that U.S. socialite and reigning co-queen (Sarah Palin is the other) of the “High 5″, Kim Kardashian, met Manchester City soccer star Wayne Bridge in a Miami night club a few weeks ago and, after communicating regularly by text message, the brunette beauty now plans to go out with him when she flies to London next week. Terry, 29, was in Florida trying to escape the attention he was receiving following revelations his ex-girlfriend Vanessa Perroncel had had a relationship with his friend and former Chelsea teammate John Terry. A source said: “They met while Wayne was cheering himself up on a boys’ night out and got on like a house on fire. They exchanged texts, have been in touch ever since and will be hooking up when Kim comes to the UK. It’s early days but she’s certainly put a smile back on Wayne’s face as she’s great fun and absolutely gorgeous. He’s looking forward to catching up when she’s in town.” That seems to be Kim’s job in life, simply to put a smile on everyone’s face.

BACK TO FEBRUARY: The Academy Awards are moving back to February. That’s about a week earlier than this season’s awards show, which was held March 7 to avoid conflicting with the Winter Olympics. Though the show used to be held in late March, the Oscars have been staged in late February in most recent years to shorten the long Hollywood awards season. The 2011 Oscars will be handed out Sunday, Feb. 27. Nominations for the 83rd annual Oscars will be announced Jan. 25.

PEOPLE I WOULD LIKE TO MEET: Sandra Bullock (but not Jesse James), Dick Clark, Clark Griswold, Beverly D’Angelo, Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Bud Harrelson, Buddy Ryan, Gary Sinise, Gary Wasliewski, Martha Quinn, Cousin Brucie, Scott Van Pelt, Colin Cowherd, Michelle Beadle, Craig T. Nelson.

Johnny Maestro, seated, and the Brooklyn Bridge

Rock music has lost another legend, but his sound will always remain … those thoughts and more in today’s High 5:

R.I.P. JOHNNY: Another of the true (albeit to some probably unknown) legends of the rock era has died. That makes two in the span of 10 days. Johnny Maestro, who rose to fame with as the lead singer for “16 Candles” with the Crests and later “The Worst That Could Happen” as the front man for Brooklyn Bridge, has died of cancer at age 70 . Last week Alex Chilton, 59, died of heart problems. Chilton was the lead singer of the Box Tops and later recognized as one of the genre’s true innovators. The tributes to Maestro started pouring in immediately as word of his death spread.

* ”Maybe now the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will recognize him,” said veteran radio host, author and music historian Bruce “Cousin Brucie” Morrow. “Of all the talent, Johnny was the smoothest. He probably sounded more like his recordings live than any other performer. He always held true to the music and treated it with great respect.”
* ”It was a privilege to have known him, and it was thrilling to have listened to him,” said Jon “Bowzer” Bauman, former lead singer of Sha Na Na.
* ”He’s considered one of the premier vocalists in rock ‘n’ roll — and one of the nicest, most sincere perfectionists in music,” said Les Cauchi, longtime friend and fellow member of Brooklyn Bridge.
* ”Johnny was a class act. He was truly a gentleman,” singer Dion DiMucci (who recorded as Dion and Dion and the Belmonts) said on Facebook. “He sang You’ll Never Walk Alone like an angel. … We thank you for the beautiful trip you took us on. Love and peace.”

Many of you would probably recognize Maestro’s music, even if you are not familiar with his name. I became a big fan of his as far back as junior high. The fist time I heard “The Worst That Could Happen” I literally ran to the local record store and bought the .45. I think the only record I played more that year was “Midnight Confessions” by the Grass Roots. Man, it’s been a bad week for us baby boomers. First, Alex Chilton dies, then Johnny Maestro. But we’ll always have their music to remember them by.

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “Jennifer Grey … the actress that played Ferris Buehler’s little sister and dirty danced with Patrick Swayze … turns 50 today! Damn she was hot!”

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO?: “Lie To Me” on Fox.

YOUR 15 MINUTES ARE UP: Kansas basketball.

CAN SOMEONE TELL ME … : Why there is such a huge difference in the price of 12-packs of soft drinks? And I’m not talking about sales and special promotions. It amazes me to walk into one of Quincy’s major stores and see the price of a 12-pack of Coke or Pepsi products betweem $5.29 and $6, yet a few blocks away the same items sell for about $3.50. How stupid does store “A’ think we are?

Lady Gaga

I still can’t see the appeal of Lady Gaga. If she were on American Idol, she would have been voted off weeks ago … all that and more in today’s High 5:

GAGA GOES TOO FAR?: Who would have thought someone like Donny Osmond would be the voice of reason? Osmond — and he’s not alone — is quite upset over Lady Gaga’s latest video. It’s a nine-minute effort entitled “Telephone,” which according to published reports features “a thong-wearing Gaga in a women’s prison where things are kinky and violent before she gets out to join Beyonce on a Thelma and Louise-type killing spree.” The video is drawing some heavy criticism. “I’m all for freedom of speech and against any form of censorship, but all I know is that I’m a parent and I’m upset about this,” Osmond said. “I wouldn’t want my child to watch this video. Would you? What do you think? Should these two extremely gifted female role models for millions of young girls, maybe, have given a little more thought to the effect it might have on their core audience?” Other celebrities have joined in, too. A USA Today online poll indicated 55 percent feel Gaga went too far with her latest shock performance. 

REALLY?: A couple retiring this year will need a quarter of a million dollars, on average, to cover medical expenses in retirement, according to a study to be released by Fidelity Investments. Well, if that’s the case, I better not plan on being sick after age 65.

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “I wouldn’t be afraid to show my feminine side, if I had one.”

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO?: Jewel.

RECOMMENDED VIEWING: May I suggest one of the shows from TNT’s excellent lineup of late-night dramas? “Leverage” begins a new season in a few weeks, but you have time to get hooked by watching some of the reruns between now and then. Timothy Hutton is the leader of a band of Robin Hood type con men and womenwho are highly entertaining, mostly in a cerebral sense. The supporting cast is great, led by the “Hitter” and the “Hacker.”

Billy

A new TV show for you to check out … all that and more in today’s High 5:

BILLY: I am developing another new TV addiction with “Billy the Exterminator” on A&E. The show debuted a couple of weeks ago and it’s a lock that your skin will crawl and at least once during the hour you’ll want to jump out of your recliner. Billy and his family run “Vexcon,” an exterminating business somewhere in Louisiana where there are some of the nastiest looking bugs and critters I have ever seen. Billy’s kind of nasty looking, too. His full name is Billy Bretherton and the show is billed as a “docusoap,” part documentary and part soap opera. It’s definitely all of that and more.  Rats, snakes (huge snakes!), bats, wasps, gators, raccoons and all sorts of wading through impressive amounts of animal excrement are part of the weekly treats. The intra-family drama is also priceless. The Brethertons are sort of a Bayou version of the Beverly Hillbillies.  New episodes of “Billy” air on Wednesday nights.

BATMAN OR SUPERMAN: USA Today has an online poll going that is bound to stir debate: Who’s the ultimate superhero — Batman or Superman? So far, Superman is in control with 52 percent of the vote. I kind of lean toward Batman, because his movies have usually been more entertaining.

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “You say you a rude boy, show me what you got now…”

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: These celebs were all born today: Aretha Franklin is 68, Elton John is 63, Sarah Jessica Parker 45 and Kat McPhee 26. I’m really getting old, because it only seems like yesterday when Aretha and Elton were Kat’s age.

SONG THAT SHOULD BE A CLASSIC BUT IS NOT: “Thunder and Lightning” by Chi Coltrane.

Jerry Springer

Holy cow, what a day! We have news about Jerry Springer, Sarah Palin and Kim Kardashian in today’s High 5:

NEW SHOW FOR SPRINGER: The Associated Press reports that “Jerry Springer is reinventing himself again,” this time as host of a dating game series. “Baggage,” debuting in April on cable channel the Game Show Network, gives three contestants the chance to win the eye of a prospective date. The hitch: Contestants have to reveal their faults and foibles. The AP says Players will carry suitcases onstage to represent the baggage they’ll confess to and defend. Among the planned suitors: a shoplifter, a woman who gets advice from psychics and a control freak. Springer called “Baggage” a family friendly show that’s “just fun and lighthearted. There’s no life-changing issues.” After the three contestants are pared down to one, the potential date must own up to a fault of his or her own. This should be quie a change for Springer, whose has recently been airing on satellite TV pay-per-view specials that spotlight fisticuffs, brawling and excessive nudity.

SARAH’S BACK!: Sarah Palin and Kim Kardashian are the unofficial queens of the daily “High 5,” so I’m happy to report that sassy Sarah is that close to announcing a deal for her travelogue reality show. Sources say Discovery Communications has edged out rival A&E Networks in the bidding for the project, “Sarah Palin’s Alaska.” An agreement could be announced in the next few days. It’s still undecided which network in the Discovery lineup would air “Alaska,” which is being produced by Mark Burnett Productions. Although travelogues are normally a fixture for the Discovery flagship, having Palin as a centerpiece also makes the show a fit for mom-friendly TLC. In her numerous TV appearances, Palin has proven she can draw an audience. Yet her show won’t come cheap. The former Alaska governor’s asking price was $1.2 million per episode. A network paying anywhere close to that figure would make “Alaska” one of the most expensive nature series ever produced.

OH NO!: Speaking of Kim, it appears her rumored breakup with Reggie Bush are true, according to E! News. Apparently, Kim’s busy schedule is the source of the couple’s woes. The two split up briefly late last summer, but reunited.

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “Biggest idiot … Tiger Woods or Jesse James?”

IT’S ABOUT TIME: The NFL has finally changed its ridiculous and outdated overtime rule — sort of. The league has passed a form of “modified” sudden death overtime by an overwhelming 28-4 vote among owners.The changes will apply only to the postseason, though the league may reconsider adapting them for the 2010 regular season in May. The modified sudden death rule means both teams get opportunities for possessions in overtime (fumbling away a kickoff would count as an opportunity) — if the first possession doesn’t end in a touchdown, either offensive or defensive. The sudden death format would resume thereafter. The four dissenting teams were the Bills, Vikings, Ravens and Bengals.

There are days when my wife questions my intelligence, but I can guarantee you I have never spent three months in a watering hole … all that and more in today’s High 5:

YOU CAN’T FIX STUPID: OK, I’m all for job dedication, going the extra mile and any other cliche you can think of regard to that subject. But at some point you simply have to wonder how many cards shy of a full deck some people really are.  “I would do it again, worms and all,” said Greg Du Toit, a wildlife photographer who was infected with worms when he sat submerged in a watering hole in Kenya for three months waiting to get the perfect photo of wild lions drinking water. In case you missed it, that was three months. What was it that comedian Ron White said? … oh yeah, “You can’t fix stupid.”

NCAA TOURNAMENT FACT O’ THE DAY: Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl is the only coach in the tournament whose blazer, which is orange, has its own Facebook page.

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “Two hours of tennis so I can stay healthy under Obamacare and the aristocracy in D.C.”

WOW: Did you see where Poplaar Bluff, Mo., brothers Crocket and Ronnie Lacy both had heart attacks at virtually the same moment? Both were saved, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and doctors remain flabbergasted at the coincidence of two brothers going “code blue” at almost the same instant. The Poplar Bluff Daily American Republic reported that on March 3, Crocket, a 53-year-old disabled truck driver from Poplar Bluff, was not feeling well and went to the doctor but became impatient and left before being treated. He called his brother and told him he didn’t feel well. Minutes after Ronnie arrived at Crocket’s home, Crocket’s heart stopped beating. Ronnie and Crocket’s wife began CPR and called 911. Ronnie’s chest began hurting so when police officer Jerry Cates arrived, he took over CPR. Emergency crews showed up and got Crocket’s heartbeat back. Minutes after the family arrived at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center, even as Crocket was being treated, Ronnie suffered a heart attack. “They went code blue at the same time and both were revived at the same time,” another brother, Eric, said. The near-simultaneous heart attacks appeared to be an unlucky coincidence, and police said they weren’t investigating.

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO?: Dale Earnhardt Jr.